Dublin, Ireland

I do not have one ounce of Irish blood in me and never imagined I would spend St. Patty's Day in Ireland, but I am ecstatic I had the opportunity to! First off, the people in Dublin were so incredibly welcoming despite the fact that 90% of the people that flooded the city were tourists. Also, the city itself was such a unique place with a quirky charm I will never forget. Strangely enough, I could easily see myself going back to Ireland for fun!

St. Patrick's Park

Ha'Penny Bridge

My friends and I did not have a set list with things to do in Dublin and instead, we just roamed around and saw what we saw. It ended up being great because we ran into so many things like the colorful doors that Dublin is known for and this beautiful bridge.

The Temple Bar

 When I first arrived in Dublin I thought 'Temple Bar' was the one bar that everyone raves about, but it is actually an area in Dublin. I'd describe it as the West Hollywood of Dublin because it is where everyone went to bars and it was super happening. Basically, if you were not in Temple Bar for the whole weekend you really missed out!

Guinness Storehouse 

The only tour you have to do while in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse Tour! Due to the weekend we were there it was super crowded, but it actually made it 10x as fun. There is so much to do that I would describe it as Disneyland for beer. I even learned how to properly pour my own pint (& yes I messed it up)!

St. Patrick's Day Parade 

St.Patty's Day Squad!

The crowded streets

The actual day of St. Patrick's Day was one of the most chaotic, yet fun experiences I have ever had. It involved linking arms with friends, pushing through crowds of people, and dancing (a lot). My friends and I started the day with breakfast at our hotel, then walked to Temple Bar, however along the way ran into the parade! 

TIP: Make sure you know where the parade is so you do not get stuck on the wrong side of it (like we did). 

Then, we went to the rooftop of Bad Bobs, which was so much fun and I was with my whole friend group! After, we hopped to Fitzsimmons and The Temple Bar. All in all, I would highly recommend sticking to one place for a few hours and then exploring others in order to get the full experience

The Brazen Head

The Brazen Head is one of the oldest bars in Dublin and is a little off the beaten path, but I would highly recommend this place to celebrate also! We went the day before the main event.

Bad Bobs Temple Bar

Bad Bobs is where I spent most of my time in Dublin! Without a doubt, some of my favorite memories while abroad were here.  

Roberta's

Biggest tip while in Dublin for St. Patrick's day is MAKE RESERVATIONS every night! I cannot tell you how many people I know that ended up eating bad food because every restaurant is packed with reservations and walk-ins.

Roberta's was a trendy restaurant that kind of felt like LA. I ordered this delicious Pork Chop and devoured it! We also had drinks in their glass roof bar before and they had some really delicious cocktails.

Elephant & Castle

Elephant and Castle is in the middle of all the action! Again, I made a reservation and so we only waited about 10 minutes, but people who were walking in had a wait time of 2+ hours. They are known for their wings, so we got some to share and I tried to be a little healthy with a Cesar salad. 

Leo Burdock

By far the best fish and chips in Dublin! This was our first stop once we got settled in Dublin and I would highly recommend others to plan it that way. I was unaware it is only to-go food, but St. Patrick's Park is a 5-minute walk away! We enjoyed our food in the park with beautiful scenery.

Queen of Tarts

This is a hidden gem in Dublin that a friend recommended to me. If I did not know about it I honestly would have just walked past it like most people did. It is for sure worth a stop for a treat and some caffeine. 

Irish Coffee

When in Ireland...! I tried Irish coffee for the first time and honestly was not a huge fan, but it was really exciting to try something new. Also, these are from The Spencer Hotel. 

When staying in Dublin for St. Patrick's Day the most important thing about your accommodation is location!! So many people pay less because they are staying way out of the way, however, The Spencer Hotel was the perfect price for the perfect location. While it is not in the middle of the action, it was a nice 15-minute walk to all of the happening areas. I found it nice to escape the crowds when needed, yet also be close enough to walk everywhere (which is key).  We also ended up having their breakfast almost every morning which was delicious and convenient!

Note: Getting Ubers/Taxi is very difficult!